Kevin McHugh has been announced as the new manager of Finn Harps FC.
Club legend McHugh takes over from Darren Murphy after his sudden departure to join Loughgall FC.
McHugh’s long-time career with Finn Harps goes back to 1998 when he started his professional playing career at the age of 17, marking his debut with a goal against Fanad United in a League Cup match.
Over two stints with the club, the Killea man made 438 appearances for the club across two spells, scoring 186 times and going down as one of the greatest goalscorers to play in the League of Ireland.
After hanging up his boots in 2016, McHugh began his coaching journey as head coach of the club’s U15 side before being appointed as Head of the Finn Harps Academy in 2017. The 45-year-old has been part of the first team coaching staff since September 2023 as an assistant and now steps up to take on the management role for the first time.
Finn Harps Chairperson Ian Harkin told club media: “No matter where you go in Ireland people will know of Kevin McHugh, no 5 in the history of all time goal scorers in the league of Ireland. Kevin has been at the club since 1998 but when his playing career ended he got involved in our academy and having spent 10 years there the timing has never been better to step up again.
“3 years ago we implemented a change in direction towards developing our own and becoming more sustainable. We will always be supplementing our own academy graduates with players from outside our region but sustainability is key. Sustainabilty is probably the wrong word for the ambition we have, we want to grow, to grow you have to continually improve standards and who better to drive that than Kevin.
“Kevin is a perfectionist, pushing the boundaries and not accepting the norm. He believes we can do something extraordinary, we have some incredible talent in our academy, developing that potential will take time and will take investment in facilities but plans are progressing there too.
Harkin adds: “I said it a few weeks ago when we had no points on the table that I am extremely excited by what is happening at the moment in the club. This appointment is a huge step forward, the energy Kevin brings will lift us all to step up and push beyond the boundaries we’ve previously settled for.”
Finn Harps Manager Kevin McHugh said: “It’s a proud moment. After being offered by our board to take charge of the team for the foreseeable future, I jumped at the chance, with Tommy, Eamon, Eoin, Shane and Seamus as a staff and the players we have at the club, the decision was an easy one.
“I have been involved at the club since 1998 and I have the clubs’ best interests at heart. I’m super competitive and want this club to be the same and will make no apologies along the way to help drive up the standards.
McHugh added a direct word to the Finn Harps supporters, who he said ‘have been brilliant in their understanding of where we are at’.
“I’d urge everyone to keep backing this team every week,” he said. “The addition of the singing section has been a really positive addition to Finn Park, and the support has not gone unnoticed by the players, and we really want to grow this connection between players and fans, as that’s really what it’s all about, the fans and the players.”
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